My Fertility Journey: IVF Success After 8 Long TTC Years
The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your doctor for the most appropriate treatment.
In 2015, we started trying to grow our family. We had no idea it would be an 8-year-long rollercoaster.
We tried for the year that’s recommended before seeking help, and when we finally did reach out, we were met with unprofessional medical providers who pushed us around for another year, saying, “You’re young, the problem could resolve itself.” It didn’t.
At the end of that year, in 2017, I demanded a referral to a fertility specialist. We quickly realized we were too scared to know the results, so we didn’t continue testing. We decided to take a few months off from trying, and then I became pregnant for a very short time in early 2018.
After this, we spent 2 more years trying. We worked on our physical and mental health, and also worked with a naturopath, before I had a chemical pregnancy in 2020. Frustrated, I got a new referral to our fertility clinic and we started testing and treatment.
Every test came back normal, so we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility and moved on to the intrauterine insemination (IUI) stage of treatment. In January 2021, a routine IUI ultrasound showed an anomaly that landed me on a surgical wait list. In the 6 months I was on that list, I was tested for cancer, had an MRI, plus 2 more ultrasounds to try to diagnose the mass in my abdomen. The diagnosis was hydrosalpinx (a fluid blockage in my fallopian tube).
In September 2021, I went in for surgery to remove both of my fallopian tubes. During that surgery, they found out the mass was just scar tissue and that my tubes were fine. After recovery, we tried IUI again. IUI round 2 landed me in the hospital with an infection, and in round 3, we canceled due to the scar tissue and the need for a second opinion.
In July 2022, I spoke with a new doctor who advised us to try in vitro fertilization (IVF). We were exhausted by this point—the journey had been everything but straightforward, and heartbreak had met us at every corner.
The journey had
been everything but
straightforward, and
heartbreak had met us
at every corner.
At 7 years into trying to grow our family, I was convinced that nothing would bring us our baby. We decided to proceed with IVF in September 2022 and froze 8 embryos. In October 2022, we transferred one of those embryos, and he’s now snuggled in my arms. Perfect as can be.
We talk daily about how lucky we are to have had IVF work the first time, and how grateful I am to have had a fairly easy pregnancy. Our little miracle was delivered via C-section due to the scar tissue, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Something that we celebrate is that even though we struggled hard, we learned how to care for each other in those tough years, and we’re thriving now thanks to that.
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